


Anyone Else But You

by gatorghost



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2828045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatorghost/pseuds/gatorghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yoriko leaps up and envelops Touka in a warm hug, squeezing her tightly as she laments “We haven’t seen each other in forever!!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anyone Else But You

**Author's Note:**

> (pounds fists on table) give me the touriko or i swear to god ill write it myself

Touka breathes in the scent of coffee and thinks that she’s finally beginning to feel like she’s home.

After ages of confusion and grief in the aftermath of the CCG raid, she finds a ray of hope in the new coffee shop she and Yomo have built from the ground up. Despite feeling at a loss without the manager, years of grueling effort have paid off, and :re is up and running.

The familiar atmosphere brings with it a wave of nostalgia; Touka takes a moment to remember her family, friends – her brother Ayato, the ever-elusive Kaneki, many other ghouls that have come and gone, and her most important person. Yoriko.

Touka feels a twinge of guilt and longing in her stomach as she remembers her broken promise, how she left without a word to the one person that made her feel at peace in her hectic double-life.

Her reverie is intruded upon by the entrance of new customers, so Touka shoves her feelings aside – a practiced motion that comes as easy to her as breathing – then conjures up a smile and calls out, “Welcome!”

~

The voice of a bell, a new scent wafting into the building, a chair’s legs scraping against meticulously cleaned floors: these things summon Touka from the back room of :re. She tries not to groan – why can’t Yomo seem to figure out how to greet customers?

“Welcome!” she greets the small, soft looking girl who has taken a seat in the corner of the empty store as she approaches.

The girl lifts her eyes, and they’re exactly how Touka remembers them – big, brown and soulful like those of a deer’s. They blink, not comprehending the situation _(Yoriko always was a bit slow, wasn’t she)_ when Touka’s brain snaps to attention. _Oh god what do I say, how do I explain-_

“TOUKA-CHAN!!”

Yoriko leaps up and envelops Touka in a warm hug, squeezing her tightly as she laments “We haven’t seen each other in forever!!”

Yomo looks on at the scene with his eyebrows drawn together in anxiety as Touka gently pushes herself from Yoriko, keeping a hand on the girl’s shoulder, and tries to articulate her scrambled thoughts.

“I’m…I…Yeah. Yeah, it’s been way too long, huh?”

Every part of Yoriko seems to be glowing, her smile is the widest Touka’s ever seen it, eyes watery and nearly moved to tears. Yoriko clasps Touka’s hands in her own and guides her to sit down, Touka hesitantly complies. Yoriko doesn’t let go of her hands.

“So how have you been?” Yoriko asks, still beaming at Touka like this is the happiest moment of her life.

But all Touka can do is stare wide-eyed, like she’s a hunted, cornered animal. “I’ve been…good. The new café is a lot of work.” :re is her life, her and Yomo have been so cautious in the creation of this new safe space – Yoriko can’t be here, she’s a ghost from the past, but here she is, telling Touka how great the new café looks, how great Touka looks.

Yoriko doesn’t mention Anteiku, doesn’t ask why the Doves demolished it. Doesn’t ask why Touka was never seen in the 20th ward again. Doesn’t ask Touka why she never showed up at the zoo like she had promised all those years ago.

Touka swallows.

There’s no way Yoriko doesn’t know why.

Yet she seems so genuinely happy to see Touka again, so enthusiastic to hear about how Touka’s life has been carrying on without her. Not for the first time, Touka wonders if she can trust Yoriko with all the dark secrets and shady goings-on in her life. Then she takes note of Yoriko’s longer hair and matured face, and is reminded of how much time has passed. She hardly knows this girl – no, woman – anymore.

“So what have you been up to, Yoriko?” Touka offers an encouraging smile, taking the opportunity to derail the conversation away from herself.

“Oh! Well, I got accepted to a culinary school…”

There’s something in Yoriko’s voice that sounds like guilt. Touka can only wonder why.

“…I’ve met lots of neat people, and I’m learning a lot, but…you know, Touka-chan, I…”

Touka hangs off her every word, terrified of the possibilities of Yoriko’s intentions, when – “I…feel so lonely without you, I’m so glad to see that you’re doing well, but I was wondering…” Yoriko squeezes Touka’s hands and meets Touka’s eyes, “If we could see each other more often now? I know you must be busy, but it really was a wonderful coincidence to meet you here, haha…”

Touka inhales sharply. This is too much. All her time spent teetering along the tightrope of the human world can’t prepare her for the rush of emotions – so instead of doing what she has been taught since birth (conceal, deceive, distance yourself) she lets herself go, and confesses.

“Yoriko, I’m so, so sorry we never went to the zoo together like you wanted.” Her voice is steadier now, set with determination. “I’ll definitely make it up to you.”

~

Yoriko feels like her heart will burst from the happiness that swells inside it when she spots Touka waiting outside the gates. Touka is alive and well and eager to rekindle their friendship.

Yoriko can’t contain her smile even as she apologizes, “Sorry, have you been waiting long?”

Touka ducks her head and averts her eyes, and Yoriko thinks the action is as cute as it’s ever been, though Touka herself would never admit it.

“No, not long at all. Wanna go in now?”

The morning breezes by, and Yoriko’s face is sore from all the smiling she’s doing at Touka’s amazed reactions to the larger animals, her endearing aversion to birds, her pretty face, at Touka’s existence in general.

How she’s missed this, the calm of chatting about nothing in particular and meandering around with her dearest friend. But now, there’s excitement. Excitement about getting to be together again, to _know_ and feel closer than ever to Touka.

Yoriko has a lot of catching up to do, though.

“It’s almost noon, do you mind if we stop for lunch?” She points to the picnic basket hanging off her arm, which Touka has spent the morning eyeing with curiosity.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Yoriko lays out the picnic blanket on a grassy area that is clear of paths and other zoo-goers, and unpacks her lovingly homemade bento. Touka sits beside her, leaning back and enjoying the sunny weather. Yoriko offers the basket to her, “Here, Touka-chan!”

Touka opens the basket to find all that remains is a can of cold coffee. Yoriko is highly amused at her friend’s confused and slightly offended expression.

“Sorry, I know you probably have high standards, working at a café and all.” Yoriko smiles, trying to convey that _it’s ok, you don’t have to hide anything from me, you don’t have to pretend._

“No, this is fine…Thank you.” Touka’s reply sounds calculated, testy. Maybe Yoriko should’ve found a better way to bring this up.

Yoriko’s smile flips to a frown as Touka opens her coffee can and takes a sip, looking like she’s about to cry.

“Touka-chan, what’s wrong?” A question so loaded, Yoriko doesn’t even know where to begin.

Touka doesn’t either. “…I just don’t know why you still want to be friends with me, is all.” Touka looks startled at having said this out loud, shattering the veil of normality. She looks at Yoriko like she’s about to take it back and cover it up, but Yoriko dives toward her before she can.

Yoriko and Touka were never very physical with each other, but these recent events call for more hugs, Yoriko thinks.

“That’s just silly, Touka. God, I was so terrified that they…The CCG…might’ve. Taken you.” Yoriko chokes up, she had intended to offer comfort, but the atmosphere is getting heavy. “Touka, I’ll always want to be your friend. You are so very important to me.” Yoriko isn’t any good at conveying her feelings, has never felt as strongly for anything as she does for Touka. She clutches at her shoulders a bit tighter, content to hold onto Touka for a little longer.

“…Oh.” Touka lowers her head to Yoriko’s shoulder, exhaling a breath she had been holding in like she has all her supressed emotions.

It’s strange, to finally hear the words of acceptance she’s dreamed of, only some years after she’d lost all hope she’d have a chance to experience them. He mind goes blank, losing herself in Yoriko’s embrace, her scent.

It’s only when Touka has the stray thought that they must look really silly, sharing a sappy hug and sitting on the ground with their uneaten picnic. Touka coughs and moves away, a slight blush on her cheeks. This pleases Yoriko.

Yoriko straightens her sunhat that had been knocked slightly askew by their hug, digs into her food, and makes conversation as leisurely and calmly as she always has.

~

Yoriko swivels her head around to Touka, about to say her goodbyes, and is met with the taste of coffee – Touka’s lips on her own.

The sunhat is completely knocked off her head when Touka straightens up to pull away. Touka squawks and fumbles to catch it, and Yoriko delights in how cute Touka can still be, even after all these years.

The hat is replaced atop her head. “…Sorry.”

Yoriko swears to never let anything get in the way of her being with Touka, ever. She removes the hat completely as she leans forward to kiss Touka again.

**Author's Note:**

> goddamn im bad at writing shit that isnt just fluff  
> oh well there needs to be more damn touriko


End file.
